Cambridge Smokeworks - review

I'd seen lots of announcements that the Smokeworks was going to open and was delighted that it happened to be while I was briefly back in Cambridge, so on opening night D and I went along to give it a try.

From the outside the Smokeworks looks modern and inviting.  Once inside we were shown downstairs which had a cool industrial feel to it.  With good use of mirrors to make the area feel more spacious and a couple of cute alcoves with seating, the downstairs area was a lovely place to sit and eat.

And if you don't have time to eat in (although with the speed of the service this really isn't an issue) then almost all of the food is available to take away.

We were quickly seated and presented with a small, yet appetising menu.  With just 12 dishes on the menu to choose from and the promise that anything we ordered would be delivered to the table at the same time it actually took us longer to decide on drinks than food.  Smokeworks has a great range of beer and bourbons to choose from, with milkshakes for those with a sweeter tooth.

D decided to try a 'piston head kustom lager' (a Swedish beer) along with a shot of whiskey, although not being a fan myself I can't remember which one!  I did however try and thoroughly enjoy the beer and would definitely recommend it.

They certainly delivered on their promise of slow cooked food, delivered quickly to your table.  My bbq pork spare ribs and D's smoked pulled pork bun were delivered to our table in under 10 minutes along with the sides of beef dripping mash and herb seasoned fries.  It was all delicious! The smokiness came through nicely, but wasn't overpowering and the meat itself was lovely and juicy.  You also don't have to wait for someone to come round, if you need anything you can simply twist one of the big red switches on the wall to get their attention.  I thought this was a great idea, especially as their seating was divided between the two floors.

bbq pork spare ribs with herb seasoned fries

I also decided to try out their interesting range of condiments. While the BBQ sauce was delicious and the chipotle sauce was good for a bit of spice my favourite by far was the sweet, hot mustard, a great combination which left me wanting more!

The condiments

I should probably add that there is a very tasty sounding vegetarian option on the menu, a halloumi, mushroom, lettuce and tomato bun (as well as the sides of slaw, fries and pickles).

My only criticism was the lack of a side salad option as I felt it would be nice to have something a little greener on the menu.  Otherwise the Smokeworks delivered both on the quality of the food, the speed of the service and the price.  With main dishes ranging from £5 to £14 and the option of a £20 platter at the top end and sides from £2 to £4.50 the meal really was good value for money.  I would highly recommend visiting the Smokeworks as soon as you get the chance!

If you want to find out more about them you can go to their website or follow them on twitter.  You can't book so just pop along to 2 Free School Lane, Cambridge, CB2 3QA if you want to give them a try, they're open from 11:45 - 22:30 from Sunday through to Thursday and 11:45 - 23:00 on Fridays and Saturdays.

Eat Cambridge - Street Food

On Saturday evening I set off at 5 to head over to the Eat Cambridge Street Food Market and it was a good job I arrived early, just 45 minutes after the event started it was already packed!  We edged our way through the crowd to have a look at what was on offer.

I quickly came to the conclusion that despite looking incredible the queue for the Steak and Honour Burgers was just too long!  I was later assured by a friend who is far more patient than I am that the burger was excellent and worth the wait. (Hopefully I'll be able to track them down some other time before I leave Cambridge.)

Wood Fired Pizza

However, we spied the Fired Up pizzaria tent in a corner which luckily didn't have a queue - this had more to do with the rapid rate at which they were churning out pizzas rather than their popularity.  The wait for my asparagus and ham pizza topped with an egg was short and the pizza was delicious.  I loved being able to watch them cook the pizzas in their mobile pizza oven while I waited.

We headed back through the crowd in order to get hold of some drinks.  While the cocktails sounded tempting I opted for a Magnificent Milkshake and the queue was actually quite helpful as it gave me time to consider my options.  While enticed by the rhubarb and custard flavour, I decided to go for the banoffee pie as I figured that one of my favourite desserts could only be made better by adding the word 'milkshake' into the mix.  It was really tasty, if a little cold given how windy it was.

I would have loved to have stayed longer but it really was very cold and Eurovision was calling!  Luckily Eat Cambridge has more in store for us (I personally can't wait for the Main Event next Saturday at the Corn Exchange) as well as the fringe events which are happening in cafes, restaurants and shops all over Cambridge.

Fearing that with exams looming and revision setting in I would be increasingly short on time I decided to stop by Afternoon Tease on Sunday to try out their Sweeteasy, even if it is a little unconventional to have a martini in the morning!  It was definitely worth going.  The cocktail was a marmalade martini (made with homemade marmalade gin) and the cake was a Bramble friand (a light almond sponge cake with blackberries and a gin glaze).

The Sweeteasy

All of this left me wishing that my exams weren't so close so that I could have more time to enjoy the Eat Cambridge festival over the next couple of weeks.  If any of you are wondering what else is going on then you can have a look at the Eat Cambridge Website where you can have a look at their online brochure (or you can pick up a copy from various of the participating shops and cafes around Cambridge).

Aromi - Review

It's time for another review and today it's Aromi's turn.  Aromi is a lovely Sicilian cafe right in the heart of Cambridge and has been open for about a year now.  I've been there a lot this year and it has never disappointed, whether you go there for coffee with a friend,W or to grab a bite to eat on your way home.

When they say they offer a slice of Sicilian life they really do mean it.  All of their food from their bread to their desserts are home-made in the traditional Sicilian style and all their authentic ingredients are imported from Sicily where they have a sister cafe!

As you enter you are greeted by a counter containing their wonderful array of focaccias, arancini and pastries.  Every day their window display is piled high with freshly made paninis and you can even watch them make their fantastic pizzas.

Aromi tends to get very busy around 12  during the lunch rush which means finding a seat can be tricky.  However, if you're planning on eating in I recommend doing what we did and going at 11:30 when most of their lunch stuff is out and there are still free seats!

As we walked in we were greeted by their friendly staff who quickly took our order (a double macchiato, latte, ham focaccia, schiacciatella cipriani and a mushroom arancini).  We then headed downstairs to sit down.

Macchiato

The food and drinks arrived quickly and everything looked so tempting I didn't know where to start.  As I'd never tried one of their arancini before I decided to start there.

Focaccia, Schiacciatella and Arancini

The mushroom arancini was delicious, with a crisp outer coating which revealed the cheesy rice and mushrooms when you cut into it.  The texture was creamy and the cheese wasn't overpowering, meaning you could still taste the mushrooms.

Mushroom Arancini

We then moved on to the ham focaccia.  I've had their focaccias before as they are perfect to take-away on those busy days.  This one was as good as ever - warm but not dry thanks to the tomatoes.

Ham Focaccia

The schiacciatella cipriani is one of my favourite things to get at aromi.  It's a flatbread containing smoked provola cheese, caramelized onions, mushrooms and parsley and I would definitely recommend getting it toasted (you don't want to miss out on the melted cheese).

Schiacciatella Cipriani

Aromi is a great place to go if you're vegetarian as they've got lots of different veggie options to choose from, from pizzas to focaccias.

Of course no visit to a Sicilian cafe would be complete without trying their cannoli, which are traditional Sicilian pastry desserts.  Aromi always have lots of these with a variety of different fillings arranged enticingly on their counter.  I had previously tried a pistachio one, so today I was excited to try a couple of different flavours - one was chocolate and the other was ricotta with chocolate chips.

Ricotta and Chocolate Cannoli

Of the two the ricotta and chocolate chip was my favourite but the chocolate was also delicious.  This rich dessert will definitely leave you wanting more.  If you're going for coffee then cannoli would make an excellent accompaniment!

I will leave you with the exciting news that Aromi will soon be serving gelato from a new shop just around the corner which should open come the summer!

If you want to find out more about Aromi then you can visit their website, follow them on Twitter or like them on Facebook.

If you want to visit them you'll find them at: 1 Benet Street, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire CB2 3QN
They're open from 09:00 until 17:00 from Monday to Thursday and from 09:00 until 20:00 on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Urban Shed - review

As if I wasn't excited enough that Afternoon Tease opened up not long ago it seems that King Street really is becoming a place to be.  While wandering to buy some wool the other day I noticed that a new coffee house/sandwich bar had opened up and decided to try it out.

The place is called The Urban Shed and prides itself on its Fairtrade Arabica coffees and wide range of sandwiches served in a variety of ways from panis and ciabatas to baguettes and rolls, they even offer a salad option if you fancy something gluten free.  Everything can either be enjoyed in their retro-style cafe or as a take-away.

As it was my first visit I decided to eat in.  I found myself a seat in a nice comfy armchair at a wooden table in the adjoining room and took a look around while waiting for my coffee.  They've gone for a retro atmosphere with upcycled furniture, all of which is for sale, from the cases full of LPs to the record player itself.  Not only does the record player work you can choose the music from their selection of records!

On the wall there's a nice tribute to Cambridge and the colleges which I liked - it's always nice when a place welcomes students, especially in a town like Cambridge where a lot of places cater more for tourists.

It didn't take long for my latte and panini to arrive.  Although they do have some more traditional options I decided to try the BBQ aubergine, swiss cheese & cashew nut butter panini - it was delicious!  The combination worked really well especially as it was toasted meaning the cheese and butter had melted into the aubergine.

Update: I went back to Urban Shed again the other day and have decided to update this part of my post as a result.  I was able to try their updated Black Forest Brownie and I have to say it was a huge improvement!  They had gotten rid of the over-sweet icing, added some more cherries to the mixture and even the texture of the brownie seemed better - it made all the difference.  It's great to see that the guys at Urban Shed are willing to review and improve their food.

The new and improved Black Forest Brownie!

I also had a chance to try their pork and caramelised onion sausage roll which was amazing!  The pastry wasn't too thick, the meat inside was moist and you could really taste the onion - if you haven't tried one already you should definitely go for it next time you're visiting!

One final note regarding takeaways.  I didn't find this out until the other day but if you're short on time then you can ring ahead so that they can prepare your order before you pop in to pick it up!

The Urban Shed was lovely, with a relaxed atmosphere.  It's great whether you want to grab a sandwich on-the-go, sit down with friends for a chat or chill out with a good book for a while.  I will definitely be taking some exam-term revision next time I go.

If you want to find out more about The Urban Shed you can:
Go to their website
Follow them on Twitter
Like them on Facebook

Or pop in to see them!  They can be found at 62-64 King Street, Cambridge, CB1 1LN